This invention relates to spread-spectrum communications, and more particularly, to a method and system for handing off a base station among a plurality of users in a spread-spectrum network.
Spread-spectrum modulation is a well developed art, in terms of generating chipping sequences, and spread-spectrum processing data signals with the chipping sequences. Using this technology, communication links may be established among a transmitter and a receiver in remote locations. Also, networks may be established, using a conference calling spread-spectrum technique. Conference calling spread-spectrum techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,572 entitled SPREAD SPECTRUM CONFERENCE CALLING SYSTEM AND METHOD, to Schilling, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,045, entitled SPREAD SPECTRUM CONFERENCE CALL SYSTEM AND METHOD, to Schilling.
A problem may exist where a spread-spectrum conference calling system is set up, but the base station may need to change hands. For example, in a military environment, a platoon may use spread-spectrum modulation for conference calling among the members of the platoon. A particular unit in the platoon may be designated as the base station. The cited prior art does not teach how to change a base station from one platoon to another or what would happen among units in the platoon in the event it became necessary to effectuate such a change.
A selected unit of a plurality of units receives data for others of the plurality of units over a first frequency. The selected unit mixes the received data from the other units with data of the selected unit. The selected unit transmits the mixed data over a second frequency. The other units receive the mixed data over the second frequency from the selected unit. Each of the other units transmits its data over the first frequency. One of the other units transmits a command and the one unit operates as the selected unit.